Refrigerating apparatus



March 27, 1934. E. HEITMAN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 21, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet it 9 W J INVENTOR. spy/m 0151mm! ATTORNEY.

March 27, 1934. E HElTMAN 1,952,670

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J? E? 3? I20 //6 INVENTOR EDP/0RD Iii/7PM" #0 W am ATTORNEYv Patented Mar. 27, 1934 REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS Edward Heitman, Detroit, Mich, aslitnor to Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application May 21, 1932, Serial No. 612,780

5 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to refrigerating apparatus of the household type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement of a refrigerating system in connection with a refrigerator cabinet.

Another object of my inmention is to divide the interior of a refrigerator cabinet into a plurality of cooling compartments by an inner lining member which forms'the inner walls of one of said compartments and to provide a refrigerant cooling element in one of said compartments and to arrange for the circulation of air from one compartment to another and over said cooling element.

Another'object of the invention is to refrigerate a food storage compartment of a refrigeratorcabinet by a cooling element located in another compartment of the cabinet and by employing forced air convection in a new and improved man ner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator cabinet having a fixed inner lining member which forms the inner walls of a food storage compartment, and a removable wall adjacent said lining which carries a unitary refrigerating system and means for circulating air about the food compartment and in contact with a cooling element of the refrigerating system for cooling the circulating air whereby such an arrangement permits the ready removal or insertion of the system and forced air convection means as a unit while leaving the lining intact.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of a refrigerator cabinet embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view in cross section of a refrigerator cabinet illustrating the arrangement of the refrigerating system in connection therewith;

Fig. 3 is a side view in cross section taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in cross section taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view in cross section taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the refrigerating system and a portion of the cabinet walls removed from the cabinet.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 20 designates in general a cabinet provided with a food compartment 21 and a cooling compartment 23. A fixed inner metallic lining member 24 forms the inner walls of the food compartment 23 and preferably is provided with a coating of vitreous enamel such as porcelain to provide a neat appearing cabinet and one which may be easily cleaned. As shown the side wall 25 of the inner lining member separates the cooling compartment and the food compartment, and in this side wall is provided an opening 27 adjacent the bottom of the food compartment and an opening 29 adjacent the top of the cabinet, so that air may be circulated between the compartments.

The cabinet includes insulated walls including a front wall 31, side walls 33, rear wall 34, top wall 35 and a stepped bottom wall 37. The cabinet is supported by legs 32. An outer casing 38 is provided for enclosing the walls. The construction of the front wall 31 preferably includes a wooden frame structure including upright posts 40 and 41, a. top cross member 42 and a bottom cross member 43. An upright post or door mullion 45 provides two openings 46 and 47 leading into the cabinet. The opening 46 leads to the freezing compartment 23 and the opening 47 leads to the food compartment 21. These openings are closed by doors 49 and 50 respectively. The edges of the door openings 46 and 47 are provided with removable finishing strips 52 which cover and help secure the terminating edges of the inner lining member 24 of the food compartment and the outer casing 38 and may be secured to the walls by screws or other suitable means.

In the bottom wall of the cabinet is provided an opening 55 in alignment with the door opening 46, and extends substantially to the rear wall 34 of the cabinet. As shown the width of the opening 55 is preferably less than the door opening 46.

The stepped bottom wall includes a Z-shaped removable closure member 57 for closing the opening 55 in the bottom wall. This closure member comprises in general a lower horizontal wall 59, an upper horizontal wall 60 and a connecting vertical wall 61. The closure member also includes a front upright wall 63 and a lower forwardly extending portion 64 which extends through a cut-away portion in the cross member 43 flush with the front wall to seal the cabinet.

Mounted upon the upper horizontal wall 60 of the closure member and within the cooling compartment 23 is a cooling element 67 and carried by the underside of theclosure member is a refrigerant condensing element 65. Forced air convection means is carried by the vertical wall 61 of the closure member and comprises in general a fan 66, a fan shaft 68 which extends through the wall 61 and a'motor '70 for driving the fan. The fan 66 is located within the cooling compartment 23 adjacent the opening 27 in the wall 25. The motor '10 is supported exteriorly of the cooling compartment by an L-shaped bracket 72 which may be suitably secured to the wall 61.

us the fan withdraws the woled air from the cooling compartment and forces it into the food compartment through the opening 27 in which it circulates and returns to the cooling compartment through the opening 29 at the top of the cabinet.

In order to prevent the conduction of heat through the fan shaft to the cooling compartment, the shaft is preferably formed in sections. The section 73 connected to the motor may be of the usual shaft material while the section 74 on which the fan is mounted is preferably formed of some suitable non-heat conducting material. The sections 73 and 74 may be coupled as at 76 in a recess 78 formed in the vertical wall 61.

The condensing element comprises in general a motor-compressor unit enclosed in a hermetically sealed casing 80, and a condenser 82. In the usual manner gaseous refrigerant is with drawn from the cooling element or evaporator thro'ugh conduit 83 by the compressor which compresses it and delivers the compressed gas through conduit 85 to the condenser 82 wherein it is liquefied. The liquid refrigerant is then delivered to a liquid refrigerant receiver 86 whence it passes to the evaporator through conduit 87 under the control of an expansion valve 89.

As shown the condensing mechanism is preferably carried by the underside of the wall 60 and above the lowermost portion of wall 59 and in a relation such that it may be exposed to the free circulation of air. To accomplish this I provide a plate 91 carried by the underside of the closure member 57 on which the parts of the condensing element may be supported. The plate 91 may be supported by straps 93 -on one side and on the other side by an L-shaped bracket 95 carried by the upright wall 61. Preferably the condenser is air cooled and for this purpose I have provided a fan 97 driven by a motor 98. This fan also circulates the air about the motor-compressor unit to remove the heat generated thereby.

The cooling element illustrated is preferably of the so-called dry expansion type and is surrounded by a tank-like member 100 adapted to contain a holdover solution such as brine. The member 100 extends substantially between the front and rear walls of the cabinet and between the top wall of the cabinet and the upper horizontal wall 60 of the closure member, and is provided with an air cooling zone 102 on the exterior thereof. As shown, suflicient clearance is provided between the walls of the cabinet and the tank member 100 so that air may freely circulate therebetween to be cooled by the cooling element. This type of cooling unit may be provided with a plurality of openings in the front surrounded by sleeves 104 in the member 100 adapted to receive trays 106 in which substances such as water may be frozen and may also be provided as shown with a chest 107 in which may be stored ice cubes and frozen foods. A drip pan is also provided below the evaporator as indicated at 108 to catch the drip from the cooling element.

In order to provide for supporting the closure member, the bottom wall is formed about the opening with ofiset portions providing a slideway 109 on which the lower horizontal wall 59 is supported. The upper horizontal wall may be supported by a bracket 110 suitably secured to the cabinet. A bracket 111 suitably secured to the rear wall of the cabinet supports the rear end of the closure member. Gaskets 113 of any suitable material such as rubber may be provided between the removable closure member and its supports to insure a complete seal between the food compartment and the exterior 'of the cabinet. Thus when the refrigerating system is in operative position these gaskets form a tight fit between the closure member and the walls of the cabinet to completely seal the cabinet from the outer atmosphere.

To prevent air from entering the cabinet when the door 49 is opened and also to conceal the cooling element, I provide in this instance a closure panel 115 behind the door opening 49 which may be detachably secured to the cooling element by screws or other suitable means. This closure panel extends upwardly from the closure member 57 to a point adjacent the top of the door opening 49 and is of a width such that it may be removable therethrough. Outturned flanges 116 are provided about the sides, top and bottom of the closure panel and extend into the door opening 49 adjacent the sides thereof, the edges of which may be covered and secured by the finishing strips 52.

In order to provide a neat appearing apparatus and also to provide a guard or shield for the condensing element, I have extended the outer casing downwardly as at 117 between the legs 32 to a point substantially midway between the bottom wall of the food compartment and the lowermost portions of the legs 32. As shown in Fig. 1, the condensing element is not only concealed from view but the cabinet walls extending downwardly also provide a guard for the operating mechanism to prevent accidental contact therewith when cleaning t-herebelow. It will also be noted that this arrangement permits the condensing element to be substantially exposed to the atmosphere on the exterior of the cabinet.

In the front wall of the cabinet the shield or guard portion 119 is arranged so that it may be readily removed. This shield or removable panel extends between the front legs 32 of the cabinet and is provided with inturned flanges 120 about the sides and top for securing it in place. The top flange is notched to clear the upright door mullion 45 and may be secured to the top of the bottom cross member 43 by screws and covered by the finishing strips 52. The side flanges may be secured to similar inturned flanges formed on the legs 32 by screws or other suitable means.

To remove the refrigerating system from the cabinet, the finishing strips 52 and the removable shield 119 are first removed, after which the cooling element, the condensing element, the fan and motor for causing air convection, and the closure member 57 may be slid forwardly through the front of the cabinet as a unit. It will also be seen that the closure member 77 may be removed either separately, or with the cooling element, through the door opening 46.

Another important advantage of the present arrangement is that the inner walls and refrigerating parts contained in the cooling compartment need not be provided with an expensive finish coating for the reason that these walls and parts are invisible when the refrigerating system is in its operating position.

Although only a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated, and that form described in detail, it will be apparent to those slnlled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the 1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, in combination, a cabinet having fixed insulated top, side and bottom walls and being provided with an opening in a vertical wall thereof, said cabinet also including a removable, angular wall supporting structure including a vertical member and a horizontally positioned member, the lowermost end of the vertical member cooperating with the bottom wall, and the horizontally positioned member having one end rigidly secured to the upper end of the vertical member and the opposite end cooperating with one of the fixed side walls to seal the interior of the cabinet from atmosphere on the exterior thereof, a refrigerant cooling element positioned above said horizontally positioned member, and a refrigerant condensing element carried by said angular wall supporting structure immediately below the horizontal member, said angular wall supporting structure being slidably movable in said cabinet whereby said wall structure, cooling element, and condensing element may be readily removed bodily from said cabinet as a unit by horizontally sliding same therefrom through said opening in said vertical wall.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, in combination, a cabinet having fixed insulated top, side and bottom walls, said cabinet also including a removable angular wall supporting structure including a horizontally positioned member and two vertical members disposed at right angles to each other, the lowermost end of one of the vertical members cooperating with the bottom wall and the uppermost ends of the vertical members being rigidly secured to the horizontal member, which cooperates with a fixed side wall of the cabinet to seal the interior of the cabinet against atmosphere on the exterior thereof, a refrigerant cooling element positioned above said horizontally positioned member, and a refrigerant condensing element carried by said angular supporting wall structure immediately below the horizontal member and above the lowermost portion of the fixed bottom wall of the cabinet, said cabinet being provided with an opening in advance of said angular wall structure and said cooling element, and said angular wall supporting structure being slidably movable in said cabinet whereby said wall structure, cooling element, and condensing element may be readily removed bodily from said cabinet as a unit by horizontally sliding same therefrom through said opening in advance of said angular wall structure and cooling element.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, in combination, a cabinet having fixed insulated top, side and bottom walls, said cabinet also including a removable angular wall supporting wall structure including a vertical wall with two horizontal walls extending therefrom in opposite directions and from opposite ends, the lower horizontal wall cooperating with the bottom fixed wall of the cabinet, and the upper horizontal wall cooperating with a vertical flxed'wall of the cabinet to seal the interior of the cabinet against atmosphere on the exterior thereof, a refrigerant cooling element mounted in the cabinet on the upper surface of said upper horizontal wall, and a refrigerant condensingelement carriedbysaid angular supportingwall structure immediately below the upper horizontal wall and the lowermost portion of the lower horizontal wall, said cabinet being provided with an opening in advance of said angular wall structure and said cooling element, and said angular wall supporting structure net to provide inner walls of said food compartment, said liner having an opening adjacent the top and bottom thereof in the wall adjacent the refrigerating compartment, said cabinet also including a removable angular wall supporting structure including a vertical member and a horizontally positioned member, the lowermost end of the vertical member cooperating with the bottom wall, and the horizontally positioned memher having one end rigidly secured to the upper end of the vertical member and the opposite end cooperating with one of the fixed side walls to seal the interior of the cabinet from atmosphere on the exterior thereof, a refrigerant cooling element positioned above said horizontally positioned member, and a refrigerant condensing element carried by said angular wall immediately below the horizontal member, said angular wall supporting structure being slidably movable in said cabinet whereby said wall structure, cooling element and condensing element may be readily removed bodily from said cabinet as a unit by horizontally sliding same therefrom through said opening leading to said compartment while leaving said liner intact.

5. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, in combination, a cabinet having fixed insulated top, side and bottom walls, and having a food compartment and a refrigerating compartment and an opening leading to said lattercompartment, an integral metallic liner positioned in said cabinet to provide inner walls of said food compartment, said liner having an opening adjacent the top and bottom thereof in the wall adjacent the refrigerating compartment, said cabinet also including a removable angular wall supporting member having one end rigidly secured to the upper end of the vertical member and the opposite end cooperating with one of the fixed'side walls to seal the interior f the cabinet from atmosphere on the exterior thereof, a refrigerant cooling element mounted on the upper surface of said horizontally positioned member, a motor operated fan carried by said vertical member for circulating air through said compartment and openings in said liner, and a refrigerant condensing element carried by said angular wall immediately below the horizontal member, said angular wall being slidably movable in said cabinet whereby said wall structure, cooling element, fan and condensing element may be readily removed bodily from said cabinet as a unit by horizontally sliding same therefrom through said opening leading to said compartment while leaving said liner intact.

EDWARD HEITMAN. 

